Nominations open for Automechanika Birmingham Garage Awards 2023

Date: Tuesday 31 January 2023

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Nominations are now open for Automechanika Birmingham Garage Awards 2023, hosted by IAAF, which will take place on Wednesday 7 June at Hilton Metropole NEC.

The awards will celebrate the very best of the garage industry and acknowledge the commitment and dedication independent garages and technicians have made to ensuring affordable mobility in the UK over the past few years.

Nominations for each award can be made here.

There are eight award categories and criteria are listed below:

1. Garage of the Year
The Garage of the Year award category recognises garages and aftermarket service outlets that have delivered exceptional service over the past twelve months and demonstrate high calibre business acumen to navigate the challenges of operating a thriving business in 2023 and beyond.

This includes proof of awareness and understanding of profit and loss, the difference between gross, operating, and net profit, and why the difference between mark up and margin is important for a business but ultimately delivers value for customers. The recipient of the Garage of the Year award will have demonstrated proficiency and a proactive approach in marketing, social media use and local community outreach.

The Garage of the Year will be identifiable with a team or individual delivering business performance transparency, meetings with suppliers and customers, and implementation of specific corporate governance policies such as complaints procedures, duty of care, and environmental awareness.

2. Best Single-Site Garage
The Best Single-Site Garage Award recognises outstanding levels of customer service, business operations and proactive marketing within the automotive aftermarket by businesses and technicians that operate from a single site.

3. Best Multi-Site Garage
The Best Multi-Site Garage of the Year award recognises outstanding levels of customer service, business operations and proactive marketing within the automotive aftermarket by businesses and technicians that operate from more than one site. With more than one garage facility within the business, this is a complex operation to run, requiring increased system resilience. The award recipient will have demonstrated strong management skills and responsibility for employees across multiple sites.

4. Best Community Initiative
The Best Community Initiative Award recognises a garage that has implemented and delivered an initiative benefitting its local community, whether a charitable donation, promotion or local campaign.

The accolade will be awarded to the garage whose initiative demonstrated creativity and was effective in raising awareness of a local cause, charity, company or issue that ultimately delivered positive effects for the local area.

5. ‘Auto-Mechanik’ of the Year
Individual contributions to the success of any highly performing garage will be recognised in the Auto-Mechanik of the Year Award. This is awarded to any individual technician demonstrating exceptional performance in their role over the last year and recognises instances where mechanics have gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional service to customers and led to reputational benefits for the garage. Technicians who have focused on their own professional development and staying ahead of the curve as new innovations arrive in the aftermarket are also encouraged to apply.

6. Best Marketing Award
The Best Marketing Award recognises innovation, creativity and proactivity with local customers and the aftermarket industry. Nominees will have demonstrated creative flair with a local marketing campaign, or they will have offered a certain promotion that benefits consumers on value, but also delivers return on investment. The Best Marketing Award recipient will have shown a carefully planned strategy and defined objectives, executed across multiple platforms (for example social media channels, press, TV and out-of-home advertising).

7. Best Customer Service Award
Customer service is key to any successfully running garage. The Best Customer Service Award will be awarded to an individual or garage that has demonstrated excellence in serving customers to ensure repeat business, deliver a positive service experience and demonstrate good core business values.

Garages that have measured a marked increase in customer satisfaction through defined metrics or have received strong feedback on positive customer experiences that demonstrate an excellent relationship between the business and its customers, are encouraged to apply.

8. Lifetime Achievement Award
Recognising long-term excellence in any role within the garage or aftermarket industry, the Lifetime Achievement Award is the ceremony’s flagship award, for individuals whose careers have spanned at least 20 years with documented accomplishments and accolades. Celebrating longevity and achievements during distinguished careers, the award acknowledges the recipient’s sustained achievements within the garage industry.

The winner will have demonstrated outstanding excellence in skills or within a leadership role, inspired others in the industry, and forged enduring relationships across multiple areas of the automotive aftermarket.

Nominations for each award can be made here.

 

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